Overview
Crafting is central to Outbound's gameplay. Players gather resources from the environment, process them at specialized workstations, and build everything from tools to van components. The system is designed to be "quick and effective" rather than tedious: collect materials, process them at stations inside the camper van, and put the results to use. Co-founder Marc Volger has said: "Crafting isn't just about survival, it's about expression."
Workstations
Each workstation handles a different type of crafting. Stations are built inside the van using the modular building system and can be repositioned as needed.
Workstation | Function |
|---|---|
Workbench | Primary crafting station; accepts downloaded blueprints for crafting items |
Sawmill | Processes raw wood (logs) into planks and light planks |
Recycler | Converts collected litter into Download Tickets for blueprint acquisition |
Food Processor | Prepares basic food items like jam, herbal tea, and tomato sauce |
Cooking Station | Handles more complex recipes like bread, mushroom soup, and pizza |
Researcher | Unlocks vehicle weight upgrades and advanced progression options |
The workbench is accessible from the back of the van by lifting the rear hatch. Most other stations need to be unlocked through the technology tree before they can be built.
Resources
Raw materials are gathered from the environment by hand or with tools. Basic resources include:
Resource | Source | Used For |
|---|---|---|
Lumber / Light Lumber | Trees (axe required for large logs) | Building components, bio burner fuel |
Rocks | Ground deposits | Building materials, crafting |
Scrap Metal | Found in the environment | Refined into Metal and Bolts |
Fibre | Plants and vegetation | Textile crafting, bio burner fuel |
Litter | Scattered debris throughout the world | Recycled into Download Tickets |
Bottle Caps | Found while exploring | Used at vending machines for bobbleheads |
Petals | Gathered from flowers | Crafting ingredient |
Coarse Ore | Mining deposits | Refined into Coarse Metal |
Resources in Outbound are replenishable: gathering spots regenerate over time, preventing permanent depletion and keeping the experience relaxed rather than stressful.
Processed Materials
Raw resources are refined into processed materials at workstations.
Material | Made From | Station |
|---|---|---|
Planks | Lumber | Sawmill |
Light Planks | Light Lumber | Sawmill |
Reinforced Planks | Planks (further processing) | Workbench |
Metal | Scrap Metal | Workbench |
Bolts | Scrap Metal | Workbench |
Coarse Metal | Coarse Ore | Workbench |
Thread | Fibre | Workbench |
Paint | Mixed from base materials | Workbench |
Download Tickets | Litter | Recycler |
Blueprints and Signal Towers
New crafting recipes and buildable items are unlocked by downloading blueprints from signal towers scattered throughout the world. To download a blueprint, players spend Download Tickets (obtained by recycling litter). Each signal tower offers multiple blueprint options to choose from, and the available options can vary between players, ensuring different playthroughs feel distinct.
Signal towers can refresh their offerings over time, rewarding players who revisit them. The tower network was improved during alpha development (v0.5.10). Some blueprints are tied to specific towers; for example, finding the sawmill blueprint may require locating a particular tower. Blueprint terminals were also placed at landmarks like fire lookout stations, with encrypted terminals added at coastal landmarks in beta v0.7.6.
Crafting Tools
Certain tools are needed for gathering and building.
Tool | Description |
|---|---|
Axe | Required for chopping large trees into lumber. Small logs can be picked up by hand. |
Wrench | Used for vehicle repairs and clearing certain obstacles. |
Power Drill | Assembles and secures modular building parts for construction. |
Paint Sprayer | Applies colors and coatings to van surfaces and building components. |
Obstacle Clearing
As players drive between regions on the map, they encounter obstacles blocking the road: fallen trees, broken barriers, and collapsed bridges. Crafting the right tools and materials (typically an axe, wrench, and planks) is required to clear these obstacles and open new paths. This creates a natural progression gate that ties exploration to crafting advancement.